Shirley Knight honored

MGM Shirley Knight seems content with Paul Newman in this scene from the 1962 film “Sweet Bird of Youth,” but she was startled by his suggestion that they go behind the set for some serious smooching to prepare for a love scene. “I must have turned 50 shades of red, I was so shocked and embarrassed,” Knight said. It was a vintage practical joke from Newman, who did it in front of his wife, Joanne Woodward.

MGM Paul Newman and Shirley Knight in a scene from the 1962 film “Sweet Bird of Youth,” based on the play from Tennessee Williams. Said Knight of Newman: “The people who are most revered are the ones not putting themselves in magazines. I don’t think self-aggrandizement is very good, and he didn’t do that at all.”

MGM Shirley Knight played Paul Newman’s hometown lover in the 1962 film “Sweet Bird of Youth” and earned her second Oscar nomination for the part. Knight will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 14th annual Ojai Film Festival this weekend.

Warner Bros.

LEFT: Actress Shirley Knight in a photo from her early career. Knight is a two-time Oscar nominee and Tony-Emmy-Golden Globe winner and will receive a lifetime achievement award at the 14th annual Ojai Film Festival on Sunday morning, part of several events featuring her. Contributed Photo

20th Century Fox ABOVE: Shirley Knight (left, with Doris Roberts and Shirley Jones) developed quite a following of young people for her role in the 2006 film “Grandma’s Boy.” LEFT: Knight earned her first Oscar nomination for her performance in the film “The Dark at the Top of the Stairs.”

Contributed Photo Actress Shirley Knight is in a lighter mood in this 1960s-era shot. Knight will be honored at the 14th annual Ojai Film Festival this weekend.

Senior Cinema Circle Shirley Knight plays a 75-year-old woman who embarks on an 80-mile adventure in “Redwood Highway.” The 2013 film will screen Friday at the festival.

Knight

MGM Actress Shirley Knight, who will receive a lifetime achievement award at the Ojai Film Festival this weekend, has plied stage, film and TV over her long career. She said she’s done her greatest work in the theater, saying of film and TV, “You don’t get better at what you’re doing. You don’t go through the time it takes to develop a great character.”